Our Board

Janet Jukes OAM (President)

Janet has held key leadership roles in effective organisations for over twenty-five years. Janet’s experience in the human services sector includes work in child, youth and family services, relationship and counselling services, homelessness, family violence, community legal sectors, AIDS Councils and universities. Janet’s current role is CEO of Refuge Victoria.

A Centenary Medal recipient for outstanding service to young people, Janet is also a highly respected community activist with extensive networks in the lesbian, gay, and transgender communities. This activity includes being the founding Co Convenor and life member of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, and member of the Victorian Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on GLBTI Issues (2000 to 2010) a ministerial advisory body that steered Victorian Government law reform recognising LGBTI parenting, equality in relationships recognition, human rights protections, and birth certificate recognition.

Janet is currently Deputy Chair for both No To Violence (peak body working with men to end family violence) and the National LGBTI Health Alliance (National Peak Body for LGBTIQ+ community controlled organisations), and has recently participated in advisory committees to establish a Pride Centre Victoria and the Marriage Equality Victorian Campaign.

A recurrent theme in Janet’s professional and voluntary work is a desire to see an improvement in the human dignity of those who are made vulnerable within our communities. Janet is concerned with making a sustainable difference and this been the key reason for her continued investment of her time energy and expertise in strong and effective LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations such as Thorne Harbour Health.

Paul Kidd (Vice President)

Paul Kidd is an activist and advocate who has been living with HIV for more than 30 years. He has extensive experience in community sector governance, having served on numerous boards, including as president of Living Positive Victoria for three years. A life member of Thorne Harbour Health, he is a passionate advocate for the rights of people with HIV and was instrumental in the successful campaign to repeal Victoria’s HIV criminal statute, section 19A. He is a practising lawyer, working in criminal defence and therapeutic justice.

Steven Farley-Odgers (Treasurer)

Steven has worked in financial services for 30 years, serving as a senior advisor to members of boards in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. He personally served on the Board of ANZ royal bank for several years. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Finance and Master of Business Administration.

He has completed projects in the non-profit sector on a pro-bono basis as an alumnus of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program. Before joining the Board, Steven became a member of Thorne Harbour's Investment Committee.

Steven is passionate about ensuring the the organisation makes safe and productive investments with its resources to ensure the ongoing delivery of comprehensive and effective services.

Dr Adam Bourne

Adam Bourne is Associate Professor of Public Health at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University, where he leads research relating to LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing. Originally from the UK, Adam has spent nearly 15 years in social research relating to HIV, drug and alcohol use, and the mental health of marginalised populations. He has served as an advisor to the European Centres for Disease Control, the UK Home Office, and previously worked on secondment with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, helping to develop their research and evaluation capacity.

Adam has worked in partnership with community led organisations across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and now Australia, and he is committed to showcasing the crucial role that they play in the ongoing HIV epidemic and in reducing health inequality experienced by LGBTIQ+ populations.

Neil Pharaoh

Neil Pharaoh brings many years of senior-level, strategic experience in building scalable, sustainable organisations in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors to the leadership table, including working in small business, management consulting, international development and the social purpose sector (both in Australia and internationally).

Neil is a Director of a number of educational, philanthropic, environmental and equality organisations. Neil is passionate about LGBTIQ+ advocacy and his work has included establishing The Channel (An LGBTIQ+ giving circle), serving as the National Co-Convener of Australian Rainbow Labor from 2007-2014 and campaigning strongly on local health and community issues as the district candidate for Prahran in 2014 and 2018. He also helped establish the Nexus Global Youth Summit in Australia.

Neil is keen to develop and extend new ways of engaging our members and community to grow in Victoria and beyond

Nevena Spirovska

Nevena Spirovska is a leading strategist and communications specialist, with a passion for contributing to and enriching LGBTIQ+ communities.

Currently, she is the Co-Convener of the Victorian Pride Lobby, a position she’s held since 2018; a volunteer with National Homeless Collective; a member of the Victorian Pride Centre Family; and works at the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Victoria’s peak body for children, young people, and their families.

She has a strong record of achievement in leading community projects and supporting social justice movements. Previously, Nevena has held senior positions in the Victorian Parliament and the corporate sector as well as the judiciary in Australia. Internationally, she worked in an advisory capacity for the United Nations and has led campaigns for Amnesty International.

Nevena has dedicated herself to for-purpose work, with over 10 years of experience across the not-for-profit sector, and has been highly engaged with grassroots movements and campaigns supporting LGBTIQ+ rights, homelessness advocacy, and addressing the drivers of structural disadvantage.

Emma Halliday

Emma has held a range of leadership roles in community organisations and she brings her experience in the areas of governance, advocacy, relationship management and finance to the board.

She currently works in relationship coverage at an institutional bank, has previously worked in Federal Parliament and is a previous co-convenor of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (now the Victorian Pride Lobby).

Emma is passionate about achieving lasting change and is keen to progress the continuing expansion of Thorne Harbour Health.

Bruce Weston

Bruce is an experienced heath sector leader with specialist expertise in governance, strategy and partnerships. Throughout his career Bruce has worked across public, not for profit, and commercial enterprises, giving him a diverse lens on the opportunities and challenges of the health system.

Currently Bruce is a Director with the North East Metro Health Service Partnership, based at Austin Health. The Health Service Partnerships bring the skills of the tertiary, primary and community health sectors together, to find solutions to complex sector problems.

Bruce is an experienced Board Director, currently with Thorne Harbour Health, an advisor to the Doherty Institute and Councillor with the Australasian College of Health Services Management. Bruce has a Master of Health Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tamsin Anspach

Tamsin Anspach is a dedicated advocate and leader in our LGBTIQA+ communities, now serving as a board member at Thorne Harbour Health.

Originally from Adelaide, Tamsin has held numerous leadership roles, including being the first openly trans Women’s Officer at a South Australian university and a board member for the National Union of Students. She has also contributed significantly to ActNow Theatre, the Youth Affairs Council of South Australia (YACSA), and the South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance (SARAA). Tamsin’s commitment to governance and advocacy continues to inspire and drive positive change for trans and gender diverse communities.